Motorcycles are less stable and less visible than cars and often have high performance capabilities. When motorcycles crash, their riders lack the protection of an enclosed vehicle, so they're more likely to be injured or killed. The federal government estimates that per mile traveled in 2005, the number of deaths on motorcycles was about 37 times the number in cars. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 2007. Traffic safety facts, 2006. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation.

Because serious head injury is common among fatally injured motorcyclists, helmet use is important. Helmets are about 37 percent effective in preventing motorcyclist deaths Deutermann, W. 2004. Motorcycle helmet effectiveness revisited. Report no. DOT HS-809-715 Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation. and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 1996. Motorcycle helmets: the facts of life. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation. An unhelmeted rider is 40 percent more likely to suffer a fatal head injury compared with a helmeted rider. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 1996. Motorcycle helmets: the facts of life. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation. Yet only 20 states and the District of Columbia mandate helmet use by all riders. Death rates from head injuries have been shown to be twice as high among motorcyclists in states with no helmet laws or laws that apply only to young riders, compared with states where laws apply to all riders. Sosin, D.M.; Sacks, J.J.; and Holmgreen, P. 1990. Head injury-associated deaths from motorcycle crashes: relationship to helmet use laws. Journal of the American Medical Association 264:2395-99. During the past decade several states have repealed or weakened their helmet laws. In 1997 helmet laws in Texas and Arkansas were weakened to apply only to younger riders. Kentucky weakened its law in 1998, Florida weakened its law in 2000, and Pennsylvania weakened its law in 2003. Louisiana weakened its law in 1999 but reverted to universal coverage in 2004. Repealing or weakening helmet laws so they don't apply to all riders has been followed by increases in deaths.[ Error ]Kyrychenko, S.Y. and McCartt, A.T. 2006 Florida weakened motorcycle helmet law: effects on death rates in motorcycle crashes. Traffic Injury Prevention 7:55-60.Ulmer, D.G. and Northrup, V.S. 2005. Evaluation of the repeal of the all-rider motorcycle helmet law in Florida. Report no. DOT HS 809 849. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation. In contrast, benefits return when helmet laws applying to all riders are reinstated. McSwain, N.E., Jr. and Willey, A.B. 1984. The impact of reenactment of the motorcycle helmet law in Louisiana. Report no. DOT HS 806 760. Washington, DC: U.S. Departement of Transportation.

Data subsections:

Trends

A total of 4,697 motorcyclists died in crashes in 2006. Motorcyclist deaths had been declining since the early 1980s but began to increase in 1998 and have continued to increase. Since 1997 motorcyclist deaths have more than doubled, reaching a record 11 percent of all motor-vehicle crash deaths in 2006.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths and motorcyclist deaths, 1975-2006

Motorcyclist deaths as a percentage of all motor vehicle crash deaths, 1975-2006

Year

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths

Motorcyclist deaths

All motor vehicle deaths

Num

%

Num

%

Num

1975

30,601

69

3,106

7

44,525

1976

31,724

70

3,232

7

45,523

1977

32,823

69

4,004

8

47,878

1978

34,923

69

4,448

9

50,331

1979

35,026

69

4,712

9

51,093

1980

34,995

68

4,955

10

51,091

1981

33,711

68

4,737

10

49,301

1982

29,654

67

4,267

10

43,945

1983

29,153

68

4,099

10

42,589

1984

30,091

68

4,425

10

44,257

1985

29,847

68

4,415

10

43,825

1986

32,224

70

4,309

9

46,087

1987

33,145

71

3,832

8

46,390

1988

34,105

72

3,491

7

47,087

1989

33,599

74

3,030

7

45,582

1990

32,711

73

3,128

7

44,599

1991

30,810

74

2,702

7

41,508

1992

29,457

75

2,291

6

39,250

1993

29,994

75

2,346

6

40,150

1994

30,816

76

2,215

5

40,716

1995

31,913

76

2,138

5

41,817

1996

32,354

77

2,077

5

42,065

1997

32,331

77

2,056

5

42,013

1998

31,779

77

2,227

5

41,501

1999

32,008

77

2,419

6

41,717

2000

32,109

77

2,829

7

41,945

2001

31,938

76

3,123

7

42,196

2002

32,724

76

3,187

7

43,005

2003

32,166

75

3,641

8

42,884

2004

31,750

74

3,904

9

42,836

2005

31,455

72

4,460

10

43,510

2006

30,476

71

4,697

11

42,642

In 2006, about a third fewer fatally injured motorcyclists were operating without a valid license (26 percent) than in 1995, but this is still higher than among fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers (16 percent).

In 2006, 58 percent of fatally injured motorcycle drivers were helmeted. Helmet use was lower, at 43 percent, for people killed as passengers on motorcycles.

Helmet use of fatally injured motorcycle drivers and passengers, 2006

No helmet

Helmet

Unknown

Total

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

Driver

1,723

39

2,538

58

125

3

4,386

Passenger

166

53

134

43

11

4

311

Total

1,889

40

2,672

57

136

3

4,697

In 2006, 85 percent of fatally injured motorcyclists were helmeted in states with helmet laws that cover all riders, in contrast to only 20 percent in states with no helmet law. In states with helmet laws that cover only some riders, 35 percent of fatally injured motorcyclists were helmeted.

Helmet use of fatally injured motorcyclists by helmet law status, 2006

No helmet

Helmet

Unknown

Total

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

No law

162

78

41

20

6

3

209

Partial law

1,471

61

846

35

81

3

2,398

Universal law

256

12

1,785

85

49

2

2,090

Total

1,889

40

2,672

57

136

3

4,697

Age and gender

In the early 1980s the proportion of fatally injured motorcyclists 40 and older started to increase, from 9 percent of all rider deaths in 1982 to 15 percent in 1991 and 47 percent in 2006. However, the absolute number of motorcyclist deaths among all age groups has been climbing since 1999.

Motorcyclist deaths by age, 1975-2006

Motorcyclist deaths by age, 1975-2006

Year

≤29

30-39

40-49

≥50

Total*

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

1975

2,475

80

419

13

129

4

79

3

3,106

1976

2,565

79

426

13

142

4

97

3

3,232

1977

3,211

80

529

13

147

4

112

3

4,004

1978

3,557

80

603

14

177

4

104

2

4,448

1979

3,627

77

729

15

212

4

138

3

4,712

1980

3,641

73

896

18

265

5

149

3

4,955

1981

3,487

74

840

18

255

5

146

3

4,737

1982

3,082

72

790

19

247

6

138

3

4,267

1983

2,959

72

765

19

234

6

135

3

4,099

1984

3,171

72

813

18

263

6

165

4

4,425

1985

3,160

72

849

19

238

5

163

4

4,415

1986

3,034

70

877

20

257

6

131

3

4,309

1987

2,588

68

831

22

275

7

138

4

3,832

1988

2,309

66

757

22

278

8

146

4

3,491

1989

1,873

62

735

24

283

9

136

4

3,030

1990

1,885

60

805

26

265

8

173

6

3,128

1991

1,580

58

711

26

283

10

127

5

2,702

1992

1,242

54

638

28

268

12

143

6

2,291

1993

1,229

52

647

28

324

14

145

6

2,346

1994

1,121

51

584

26

338

15

171

8

2,215

1995

1,057

49

562

26

347

16

172

8

2,138

1996

932

45

541

26

408

20

196

9

2,077

1997

837

41

547

27

396

19

276

13

2,056

1998

897

40

599

27

465

21

265

12

2,227

1999

878

36

601

25

564

23

376

16

2,419

2000

986

35

696

25

666

24

476

17

2,829

2001

1,108

35

789

25

715

23

509

16

3,123

2002

1,022

32

767

24

758

24

638

20

3,187

2003

1,161

32

829

23

887

24

763

21

3,641

2004

1,256

32

853

22

946

24

849

22

3,904

2005

1,405

32

963

22

1,003

22

1,088

24

4,460

2006

1,496

32

986

21

1,081

23

1,132

24

4,697

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Ninety-one percent of motorcyclists killed in 2006 were males.

Motorcyclist deaths by age and gender, 2006

Age

Male

Female

Total*

Num

%

Num

%

Num

<16

18

78

5

22

23

16-19

168

88

24

12

192

20-24

696

95

37

5

733

25-29

520

95

28

5

548

30-34

436

92

38

8

474

35-39

461

90

51

10

512

40-44

450

86

74

14

524

45-49

494

89

63

11

557

50-54

418

90

46

10

464

55-59

338

92

29

8

367

60-69

224

94

15

6

239

≥70

60

97

2

3

62

Total*

4,285

91

412

9

4,697

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Sixty-six percent of the females who died in motorcycle crashes in 2006 were passengers and their deaths represented 87 percent of the passenger deaths. Ninety-nine percent of the males who died were drivers.

Motorcyclist deaths by person type and gender, 2006

Person type

Male

Female

Num

%

Num

%

Driver

4,246

99

140

34

Passenger

39

1

272

66

Total*

4,285

100

412

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Motorcycle type and engine size

The average engine size of motorcycles whose drivers were killed in crashes went up dramatically in the last few years. Among motorcycle operators killed in 2006, 23 percent drove motorcycles with engine size larger than 1,400 cc, compared to 9 percent in 2000 and less than 1 percent in 1990.

In 2006, 35 percent of fatally injured motorcycle drivers were on cruisers or standards and 29 percent were on supersports. In contrast, 30 percent of motorcycle driver deaths were on cruisers and standards and 19 percent were on supersports in 1997. Of the driver deaths on public roadways in 2006, about 1 percent occurred on motorcycles designed for exclusively off-road use. The proportion of motorcycles that could not be classified has decreased substantially over these years.

Fatally injured motorcycle drivers by motorcycle type, 1997-2006

Cruiser/standard

Touring

Sport/unclad sport

Supersport

Off-road

Other/unknown

Total

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

1997

559

30

164

9

200

11

352

19

22

1

581

31

1,878

1998

629

31

168

8

208

10

401

20

31

2

589

29

2,026

1999

716

32

203

9

229

10

486

22

35

2

554

25

2,223

2000

897

35

250

10

282

11

551

21

36

1

575

22

2,591

2001

971

34

292

10

339

12

685

24

43

1

556

19

2,886

2002

1,013

34

365

12

323

11

680

23

42

1

529

18

2,952

2003

1,192

35

394

12

399

12

821

24

56

2

496

15

3,358

2004

1,241

35

439

12

449

12

914

25

75

2

475

13

3,593

2005

1,515

37

514

12

463

11

1,073

26

60

1

517

12

4,142

2006

1,538

35

548

12

462

11

1,254

29

45

1

539

12

4,386

Seventy percent of fatally injured drivers of cruisers or standards in 2006 were at least 40 years of age, compared with 88 percent of touring bike drivers. Sixty-nine percent of fatally injured supersport drivers in 2006 were under age 30.

Fatally injured motorcycle drivers by age and motorcycle type, 2006

<30

30-39

40-49

50+

Total*

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

Cruiser/standard

170

11

294

19

524

34

550

36

1,538

Touring

11

2

54

10

181

33

301

55

548

Sport/unclad sport

213

46

138

30

75

16

36

8

462

Supersport

861

69

308

25

71

6

13

1

1,254

Off-road

29

64

12

27

4

9

0

0

45

Other/unknown

123

23

111

21

133

25

172

32

539

Total

1,407

32

917

21

988

23

1,072

24

4,386

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Seventy percent of fatally injured supersport drivers and 68 percent of sport/unclad sport drivers were helmeted in 2006. Only 51 percent of fatally injured drivers of cruisers and standards were helmeted.